


I’ll Pick Up My Hiking Boots When I’m Ready

by Vicarious_Virgo



Series: I’ll put down my roots when I’m dead [1]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Background Character Death, Gen, How Do I Tag, Mild Gore, Not Beta Read, Ranboo is a feral forest child, Ranboo-centric (Video Blogging RPF), author is trying their best, first fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:48:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28440405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vicarious_Virgo/pseuds/Vicarious_Virgo
Summary: Ranboo didn’t know why he woke up in such a dark place, but he can tell you what happened after.I suck At summaries((The violence warning only counts for chapter 2.))
Relationships: None
Series: I’ll put down my roots when I’m dead [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2083224
Comments: 17
Kudos: 271





	1. Yell at the walls, because the walls don’t love you

**Author's Note:**

> First fic,, sorry if it’s bad D: 
> 
> Also if you see any grammar mistakes pls comment them, this is unedited.

Ranboo could tell you a lot of things about himself. He was a hybrid like everyone else in this city, half enderman in fact! He couldn’t tell you what the other half was, no one ever answered him when he asked. He was around eight years old, his eyes were two different colors, he liked cake, and he hated water. Those are the things he could tell you confidently. 

What he couldn’t tell you was why he woke up surrounded in darkness one day. 

The first thing he felt was the plush blanket underneath him. It’s warmth almost drew him back to sleep, but in the end confusion pushed him to consciousness. He attempted to sit up, only for his head to collide with the ceiling above him. 

Ouch. 

Ranboo raised a hand to rub at the now sore part of his head. Once the pain faded, Ranboo began trying to learn where he was. He could feel his feet resting against the bottom of wherever he was. With a bit of wiggling around, he raised his arms to push against the top of the box. 

Immediately, pale sunlight flooded into the dark space. Ranboo had to rub at his eyes in order to focus on the light. With now focused eyes he looked around. The first thing he did was look down at himself. 

A red blanket was tucked under him, a jacket folded beside him. Looking down at himself, he found himself wearing black pants and a standard white shirt. Next, he observed the outside room. 

Ash colored snow floated into the building from a hole in the ceiling. The cold immediately washed over Ranboo causing him to shiver. Carefully, he grabs the jacket from beside him and shrugs it on. With stiff joins, he stands up. Ranboo’s knees pop as he stands up. He figured he must’ve been asleep for awhile. 

He steps out of the chest and the cold seeps through his socks. Another shiver runs through him as he stands with his back to the chest. The room he was in was completely wrecked. Chairs were broken and laid on the floor, almost as though someone pushed them out of the way. 

The grey colored snow piled under the whole in the ceiling, just across from Ranboo’s chest. A few windows near the door were completely shattered, the door itself opening and closing in the breeze. 

Ranboo looked down at his feet, wondering if there were shoes nearby. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a black stain on the floor. He observed it for a few seconds before noticing the stain made a path towards another room. 

Huh. 

First, he turned back to the chest and pulled the red blanket out. In the attempt, Ranboo almost fell backwards. The blanket was packed into the chest tightly, the thick wool soft in his small hands. 

Once the blanket was out, he tied it around his shoulders almost like a cape. The blanket was quiet large, so he made sure to wear it long ways to keep it from dragging. 

With a new layer of warmth, Ranboo began following the stain trail. The stain seemed to get bigger and bigger the more he followed it. The dark stain led him through a dining area with a kitchen nearby, a hallway, and finally ended at an ajar wooden door. Here the stain was also left on the walls and on the doorknob. 

Nervously, he raised a shivering hand to the door and pushed it open. 

Sunlight filtered into the room from the roof through yet another hole in the room. This left most of the room exposed to the chilling grey snow. Debris was littered around the room, just like the other rooms. Ranboo could tell you that was the first thing he noticed in the room. He’d be lying. 

What he really noticed was the figure propped against the wall. Her purple hair dusted with the grey snow, eyes missing from their sockets. Purple veins prominent on her now grey skin, yet something in the back of Ranboo’s mind knew her skin wasn’t grey. 

Her dress normally a bright blue was stained dark with black blood. She seemed to be staring at Ranboo with her empty sockets. Her face was blank but somehow, he can imagine how fear would look painted on her face. 

_((“Stay here, Boo. Don’t come out until I come get you-“_  
“But-“  
“Boo, I love you.” 

_Darkness surrounds him as the chest clicks shut as a reply in Enderonic begins to from on his lips.))_

Without thought, he walks forward. Closer and closer until he collapses in front of her. He can hear his heart picking up it’s speed. With still shaking hands, he reaches out slowly before throwing himself at her. He ignores the sooty smell of her blood, and the coldness of her body. He keeps hugging her, hoping for her warmth to engulf and protect him from the snow like it always does. 

Childishly, he guesses she’s pretending so the scary things will leave. She must be scared. That’s alright, he can be brave for both of them! 

So in their language, he speaks to her. 

“It’s okay, Mom, you can stop pretending. We’re safe now!”


	2. Secluded

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a longer chapter that isn’t edited at all because I’m tried, sorry about that! There is gore mentioned in the paragraphs after Ranboo trips, so please be careful for that! 
> 
> Enjoy <3

Ranboo stayed at his mother’s side for awhile. By the time he pulled away, his stomach was growling and the sun was halfway in the sky. After throwing the red blanket over Mom, he began walking back to the room he woke up in. 

Due to the collapsing walls and destroyed ceilings, a cold wind ran through the house. Ranboo found himself shivering by the time he reached the kitchen. Mom didn’t have to eat, but Ranboo did. He couldn’t remember why she couldn’t eat. Ranboo makes a mental note to ask her later. 

What was he doing? Oh yes, the kitchen. 

Standing up on his tip toes, he searched the cupboards for anything to eat. Everything was gone, the shelves inside the cabinets were destroyed. With a huff, he checked the smokers for any meat that was left cooking. 

Nothing. 

Blinking away frustrated tears, Ranboo made his way to the room he woke up in. A dull aching in his stomach made him walk just a little faster, his socks soaking from the snow collecting on the floor. He grits his teeth, the pain making the tears harder to keep at bay. 

Once reaching the room, he began looking around. There was another sweater tucked away in a chest, along with new socks. There were other clothes in there too, surprisingly untouched. The clothes fit perfectly on him, so maybe they were too small for whoever took everything? 

Did they take everything or did they need it? Mom is always nice, she wouldn’t say no to anyone who was hungry, hybrid or not. 

With that thought, the eight year old felt determination soak away the pent up tears. If they needed food, Ranboo would just go get some from the market. 

Ranboo made sure his skin was properly covered before leaving. He pulled on a pair of boots that were a size too small, they were all he could find. His gloves took a little more searching, he crawled around on the floor for a few minutes only to find gloves that didn’t match. He shrugged and put them on anyway. 

He pulled up the hood of his thick jacket before stepping out the front door. A loud screech filled the air as the door opened. With hesitation, he steps into the grey tinted snow. He can barely make out the stone path, occasionally having to squint. 

Ranboo finds the silence creepy. Where is everyone? 

Usually, this part of the city is filled with people milling around. Adults would walk this path to work or back home, kids would play tag and other games here too. The lack of activity had Ranboo feeling strangely alone. The silence was almost deafening, and if he focused he could hear his breathing. 

So, he began to hum. The song was in Enderonic, he isn’t too sure where he learned it but the melody was relaxing. It offered some distraction from the ever greying snow and the silence. 

After two cycles of the same song, Ranboo finally reached the market. The stalls looked different, though. Mrs. Salem’s stall was completely destroyed. 

The purple and black flags that usually hung from the ceilings were burned in half, one of them barely hanging. The ceiling was completely destroyed, snow infesting where the weird drinks were usually showcased. 

Ranboo found himself walking towards it. Mrs. Salem was always nice, she let him pet her cats! 

Ranboo was close to the stall when his foot kicked something in the snow. The hybrid stopped and reached down into the snow bank. Under a thin layer of snow was a glass bottle containing a pink-almost red- liquid. 

Ranboo put it into his pocket for later, hopefully Mrs. Salem wouldn’t be too mad. After collecting the bottle, he continued through the market. 

A lot of the stalls looked the same as Mrs. Salem’s, completely destroyed. He had tried to find anything in the snow nearby, but almost everything was either soaked or too burnt to use. 

Failure sunk like a stone in Ranboo’s stomach, the feeling amplified by his hunger. Even though he had been asleep for awhile, he found tiredness dragging him down. The cold only made it worse, even though he was bundled up, the cold was seeping through the thick cloth. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw it. 

A beacon of hope in the grey sea of snow seemed to spawn. _The bakery._

It was one of the more popular shops, so it had its own building instead of a stall. With desperate energy, Ranboo walked quickly to the building.

He opened the oak door and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. The building was surprisingly in tact. With a sigh, Ranboo removed his gloves and pulled his hood down. Stuffing his gloves in his coat pocket, he walked towards the front counter. 

He found it odd the chairs in the diner area were thrown about, but he ignored it in favor of getting food. 

With now gloveless hands, Ranboo rang the little bell on the counter. The sound echoed through the whole building, only for silence to reply. He rang it a few more times to no reply. 

Mr. Baker usually came from the baking room the second the bell was rung. Ranboo found himself wondering where the blaze-hybrid was. The baker’s famous carrot cake was under a glass case, a slice or two missing. It wasn’t real food but _Prime_ he was so hungry. 

Mom would scold him though. 

But he’s _hungry, and frustrated, and confused and-_

Ranboo wasn’t going to take the cake. Instead, he climbed over the counter and almost slipped. Now behind the display case, he slide the little door on the back of the case back and gripped a loaf of bread. 

His stomach growled at the sight of the baked dough, his mouth watering. Ranboo shook the feeling away, putting the bread back and looking for a to go bag. He found one under the counter and opened it, placing the bread inside. 

He reached back into the display case and grabbed a few rolls for dinner too. He rolled the bag closed and looked into the back baking room. 

The usually lit lanterns back there were off, making the room darker. Unlike the front room where Ranboo was, the back room didn’t have any windows. He felt his ears press against his skull, he never liked the dark. 

With the fear motivating him, he left the bakery. Of course, before leaving he did end up sloppily slicing two pieces of cake and putting them in a box.

* * *

Ranboo continued through the market, his small hands slightly full from the bread and cake. There was one more place he wanted to check for food. 

The deeper he trekked into the market, the darker the snow seemed to get. An awful smell also wafted through the air, more prominent than the stuffy smell of the cold. 

Miss Stone’s shop quickly came into view. The usual pink banner of her shop was torn, but still recognizable. Ranboo could feel his arms getting tired but he pushed forward with renewed speed. Luckily, the shop was the least destroyed. 

Ranboo set his bagged food on the wooden counter in front of him. He waited for a few minutes, no one coming to help him buy something. Why was everyone hiding? It’s safe now, all the scary things were gone. 

Against his will, a sad noise escaped his mouth. With ears pressed against his skull, he climbs into the stall. The shelves are decently stocked from what Ranboo can see. 

Finally, he sees what he was looking for. 

Canned mushroom stew. It’s on the fourth shelf, just within his reach. He’s so excited by the sight that he fails to see the obstacles on the floor. 

He ends up tripping, falling against the wall. He barely dodges hitting his head on the edge of the shelf, instead landing on the damp carpeted floor. 

“Ermph..” the pained sound leaves him. He can feel the cold air entering through a newly ripped hole in his jacket. With annoyance, he turns to see what he tripped over. 

Annoyance fades to a nauseating dread and disgust when he sees Miss Stone’s dead eyes staring back to him. Her skin is tinged with blue, and her body lays several inches away from her head. A horrified scream fills the dead air of the city. 

_(( Someone was holding him, and running. He could feel their warmth through the layers of his clothing._

_Mom._

_Somewhere, a bell is being rung. It echoes through the city and people are running. Their body’s pass in a blur, scattering like rats in a maze._

_The moonlight reflects off of metal and Ranboo watches as a man slices off Miss Stone’s head, black blood painting the scary thing’s blue armor. He finds his eyes drifting to the snow, catching glimpses of it’s now black color as people sprint past._

_He must have made a sound because next thing he knows, Mom adjusts how she’s holding him so he can’t see._

_He can still hear the screams and her panicked breathing though.))_

* * *

On the outside of the city, a man stops his horse and looks back towards the pillaged city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!
> 
> ((Sorry if this is bad,, I’m honestly just writing this as ideas come. I’m doing my best :,) ))

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading <3


End file.
